See you tomorrow Captain Man
by WalksInTheMoonlight
Summary: Series of one shots. How much do Captain Man and Kid Danger really mean to each other?
1. Mexican Red Rump

**This is my first Captain Man fanfic. This is the episode called Henry's Jelly. I started this off in the pet store when Henry had a Mexican red rump above his head. Please Read and Review. Oh and ENJOY :)**

* * *

 **Henry's P.O.V.**

"You wouldn't" Captain man asked panic evident in his tone.

This was my fault. I caused this... I looked around at the people stuck in dog carriers as Captain Man was trying to save me from my own stupidity. He was desperately trying to reason with the insane man holding a dangerous spider over my head. If only I hadn't run off, this never would have happened. I was just so jealous that Jasper was getting all the attention. But I had no excuse for putting my friend in danger. True he couldn't be destroyed, but he could feel pain, and the people he was trying to save could hurt or worse and it would be all my fault. Could I live with that?

"Get in the crate, or I drop the spider on this kids' stupid face"

I looked at Captain Man and saw the emotions play on his face. He didn't want to get in the crate, but he loved me. I could see his desire to help others fighting with his desire to save me. I knew what I had to do. I couldn't let him get hurt because I am a fool. I couldn't let these people get hurt because I was jealous. I wouldn't. He would be mad, but he would be safe. The innocent people locked in cages would be safe. I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry." Meeting his gaze, I reached up and flipped the lever keeping the spider in.

In slow motion I saw the fear and despair on his face as the spider fell. He tried to reach for me, but I knew he wouldn't make it. I closed my eyes tight and held my breath waiting for the sting. I felt the spider hit my head and a sigh of relief went through me. It hadn't bitten me, maybe I would get out of this with just a lecture from Ray. My joy was short lived as I felt it slide down my neck and bite the small of my back. I looked at my friend, who was more like a brother to me, and saw the same look that must have been on my face. Pure and udder shock. I was going to die. I am sorry Ray. So sorry….

I dropped to the ground as Captain Man punched the guy who was holding me. I couldn't feel anything below my waste. It was like I had been submerged in ice water, and I was sinking. I barely felt him pick me up and pull me into his arms.

"Kid, why did you do that? Don't you know how much I need you?" He whispered.

"I couldn't let my stupidity cause anyone to get hurt" I said between gasps. It was starting to get really hard to breath. ' _but I need you too…_ '

"But you did let someone get hurt kid. You. And me." He said with tears in his eyes.

I became aware that people were watching us intently.

"Cap-captain man?" I asked gasping

"Yeah kid?"

I gathered up what was left of my fading strength "will you tell my boss Ray something?"

"Sure kid." He gazed intently at me

"Tell-tell him I am sorry. That I don't mean to leave him, but I have no choice. Tell him I am sorry I am so stupid. I hope he forgives me..."

"You are going to be fine." Captain Man says sternly.

I just give him a look. We both know I am not going to be fine. "Please" I whisper

His face falls "Well I don't know your boss, but I am sure he forgives you. And he probably loves you very much." Captain man voice breaks

I look into his eyes until I can't see anymore. Then I just kind of drift. I don't want to die. I will fight till I can't fight anymore. ' _It won't be easy for you Death._ '

—

CAPTAIN MANS POV

I saw the intent on Henrys face right before he reached up. No please no. Tell me this isn't happening. He met my eyes and I saw the steely determination in them. He was really going to do it. That stupid kid. I would rather _live_ in the crate then for him to do what he was doing. I reached out to stop him, but I wasn't fast enough. The spider hit his head and bounced before falling down the back of his shirt. I prayed that it wouldn't bite him, that maybe it would just fall to the ground without biting him, but I saw the look on Henry's face and knew it had.

He started to wobble, and I ran up and punched the guy holding him. He fell unconscious on the floor. When he fell, so did Henry, as the guy was the only thing holding him up.

I got to my knees and scooped the kid up into my arms. I didn't care who was watching as tears slide down my face. He hadn't been my sidekick for long, how could I love this boy so much? When did that happen? How could I love another person this much who wasn't me? I loved him like the brother I never had. He always seemed to be able to make me laugh and vice versa. What was I going to do without him?

"Kid, why did you do that? Don't you know how much I need you?" I whispered. Did I even know how much I needed him? I could see the color draining from his face.

"I couldn't let my stupidity cause anyone to get hurt" he said gasping.

My heart jumped painfully.

"But you did let someone get hurt kid. You. And me." I said looking into his eyes.

"Cap-captain man?"

"Yeah kid?" Wondering how long he could continue to talk to me. Maybe if I kept him talking I could hold onto him forever.

"Will you tell my boss Ray something?"

I started. What could he possibly want to tell me? "Sure kid" I looked deep into his face. I knew whatever he had to tell me was important. I didn't care who saw.

"Tell-tell him I am sorry. That I don't mean to leave him, but I have no choice. Tell him I am sorry I am so stupid. I hope he forgives me..."

How. How could he say that? Does he think I hate him? Doesn't he know how much I love him? I can't let him think that. I can't. "you are going to be fine." I say angrily.

He just gives me a look. He knows he is dying. That just plunges the dagger in my heart. How could I do this to him?

"Well I don't know your boss, but I am sure he forgives you. And he probably loves you very much." I say with my voice breaking. I do Henry, I love you very much. And I need you to fight.

I watch as his eyes got cloudy and closed. I felt myself dying with him. My body was hollow, and for the first time in a long time, I wished I could really die.

I heard rustling behind me and I realized I still hadn't let the prisoners out of their cages. Not letting go of Henry or looking away from him I reached up to the nearest cage and opened it.

"Please let the others out and call an ambulance." I said in a hollow tone still holding Kid Dangers lifeless corpse.

He's gone became a mantra in my head. He's gone and it's my fault. If I hadn't been in the shower, then he never could have left without me. I am so stupid. He's gone. Never again will I hear him laugh, or say up the tube, scream when he comes down the elevator, or even have him correct my grammar. I used to hate it, but I would pay any amount of money to hear him yell at me right now. What am I going to do without him? He's gone.

So lost am I in my thoughts that I don't notice the ambulance has arrived until they try to take him out of my arms. I fight. I don't want to lose him.

"Captain Man, lets us take him. He needs medical attention."

"He doesn't need medical attention, because he is DEAD!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Can't they see that? Why do they insist on twisting the knife? He is dead because of me.

I see the ambulance workers glance at each other. They think I have lost my mind. Well maybe I have. I don't care what they think. Why should I care, when Henry is gone?

"Captain Man. He isn't dead. At least not yet. That's why we have to get him to a hospital."

Did I hear that right? "He- he isn't dead?" I look at their faces for confirmation that I just heard what I thought I heard. They nod. I clutch the words close to my heart. He is alive. There is hope. I look down at his face and see his chest rise ever so slightly. ' _fight Kid, you've gotta fight.'_

I get into the ambulance with Henry. The ambulance workers don't say anything, but I see them exchange looks. I look up from Henry's sleeping face to address them.

"Look. This kid risked his life to save a store full of people he didn't know. That makes him important. I am not leaving his side till he wakes up and I can thank him in person." I say, hoping to stop the unwarranted attention so I can just be there for Henry.

They nod and go about hooking him up with tubes. I grab his hand and hold it. _'Why did you do this Kid, huh? Can't you see that if you die this will destroy me? I can't bear this, so please wake up now. Come on kid, show me how strong you are and open your eyes'_ I say silently, hoping that maybe he can hear me wherever he is.

When we get to the hospital I am not permitted to go into the Intensive Care unit with him. I understand. I would just be in the way. I let the hospital call Henry's parents and I head outside for some fresh air. I flip my watch to see if I can contact Schwoz. It rings a few times with no answer.

I call and call. After 5 times Schwoz strolls into view. "Finally! Where have you been?" I demand angry. The anger feels great so I latch onto it. Anything is better than the empty feeling I have had ever since I saw the Kid's face when that spider bit him.

"I was working upstairs with Charlotte. Why? What is wrong? And where is Henry?" Schwoz asks confused.

"Get Charlotte."

"Ray, what is wrong?"

"GET CHARLOTTE!" I scream at my wrist.

Schwoz looks hurt, but I don't care. I am only going to say what happened once. I don't even know how I am going to get through this. The telling. I have to go through my failure blow by blow. What is Charlotte going to say? Will she hate me? She can't hate me anymore then I hate myself.

Schwoz and Charlotte come into view.

"Ray?" Charlotte says hesitantly "Where is Henry? What happened?"

I tell them how I was in the shower, and Henry left without me to go to the pet store. I tell them everything, right up to the part where the spider bit Henry. I am emotionless. I sound like a robot, but I don't care. I can't let myself feel the pain again. Charlottes face loses all color. She knows what that means. I don't realize it, but I have been crying the entire time I tell the story. Even Schwoz looks sad. He didn't even really have a great connection with the Kid, but it just goes to show how much one person can touch so many. ' _you better survive this Kid. Or there will be a giant hole in a lot of peoples' lives'_

Charlotte is silent for a long time. When she opens her mouth to speak I brace myself. It was my fault. I should have moved faster, and gotten to him before the spider bit him. It should have been me. I did this to him. How could I be so stupid?

"Ray. It's not your fault." Charlotte says quietly

I look up at her. "Of course it's my fault. I did this. I wasn't strong enough or fast enough to protect him. I understand if you hate me." I try to stay in my robot form, but the emotions are creeping in. There is a dull ache where my heart used to be. An ache that won't go away after 2 seconds like all my other pain. This pain is here to stay.

"No Ray. It's not." Charlotte insists.

"THEN WHOSE FAULT IS IT CHARLOTTE?! HUH?! IF IT'S NOT MY FAULT WHO IS TO BLAME? Don't you DARE say it's Henry's." He was just looking out for everyone. It wasn't his fault, and no one had better blame him in my presence.

"No Ray, it's not Henry's fault either." She tells me gently "It's the guy who took over the pet's stores fault. Don't carry something that's not yours to carry. It's NOT your fault Captain Man."

I start and look away. I had forgotten about that jerk. Anger comes quickly now, I embrace it, I welcome it, I cherish it. My mind is filled with images of punching that guy over and over till he either dies, or is in the same condition Henry is.

"Ray look at me." I hear Charlotte in the back of my mind. She sounds insistent. I look up from the spot I was staring at

"Do you know how much Henry respects you?" She says in a firm voice.

"Don't." I warn through my anger haze

"Don't do anything to lose that respect. Don't do anything to tarnish your reputation. Be the Captain Man that Henry and all of Swellview love and admire. Hurting that guy won't help Henry, and it won't make you feel any better. Even if you think it will, it won't. Revenge is never the answer." She cries desperately.

I look at her. She is smarter than anyone I know, and she is only a kid. I don't know how I lived without her and Henry before he became my sidekick, but I never want to go back to not having both of them in my life. I nod at her and tell her what hospital we are at. She tells me she is on her way and disconnects.

I go inside the hospital and see Henry's parents crying in the waiting room. Sighing I walk over to them. I know they are going to have questions that only I can answer. I hope I am up for this; I can't fall to pieces. They need me to be Captain Man, and I will be there for them… The only question was, who was going to be there for me?

I answer their questions in a hollow voice. When will this be over? I would give anything to just be in the man cave with Charlotte, Henry, and Schwoz watching TV.

After the questioning, I ask them for a favor. I want, no I NEED to be with Henry with he wakes up, but in order to do that I need their permission to stay with him at night. They ask me about Kid Danger. _'Oh Crap.'_ I think before coming up with an excuse that Kid Danger was with his grandmother and would be for a while. They seem to buy it.

Just as they were giving me permission to stay, Charlotte walks in with Schwoz. Her face is puffy and I can tell she has been crying. Schwoz is somber for the first time in ever. She looks at me trying to decide something.

Before I can figure it out, she runs up to me, jumps into my arms and starts crying. I hold her, just waiting for her tears to run out. "It's ok little girl. It's ok. Captain Man is here. He is going to be alright." I say soothingly. I can't let anyone know how attached I am to this girl, or that we have even met before.

Eventually she calms down and stops crying. I set her back down and she turns to Henry's parents. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene. I just saw Captain Man and I was so glad he was here for Henry." She says sheepishly looking down at her shoes.

Henry's parents assure her it's alright, then ask where Ray is. "He is still at the store, he couldn't get away, but he is extremely worried about Henry and will probably be here tomorrow to look in on him."  
Charlotte says in a rush.

' _You're darn right he will be here tomorrow.'_ I think to myself.

The doctor's come out to tell us Henry is stable, but he is in a coma. There is no telling when or if he will wake up. The doctor also tells us that we can start to see him if we want. Henry's parents go first, Charlotte and I let them go alone. They need time to say things to him without an audience. It might be their last chance to be alone with their son. Charlotte says nothing but takes my hand and I look down at her.

She isn't looking at me, but the look on her face is heartbreaking. It's like my hand is the only thing holding her up. I squeeze her hand back, the only lifeline that is holding me on this earth. I rely on her almost as much as I rely on Henry. That thought shocks me to my core…I am used to not needing anyone, and now these two little kids have wormed their way into my heart. I don't know how long we were there, but eventually Henry's parents come out and say their goodbyes to us.

I let go of Charlotte and gently push her towards Henrys door. She looked at me with a question in her eyes.

"No Charlotte, I am not going in with you this is your time to talk to Henry. You don't need me there."

Saying nothing she squared her shoulders and walked in.

I sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room and waited. After about a half an hour Charlotte came out. I have no idea what she said to him, but she looked exhausted. She came up to me and squeezed my shoulder.

"It's your turn," she said in a small, tired voice.

I nodded, hugged her and walked to the door. I paused to try to get myself composed before I saw him. Taking a deep breath, I looked in. I was unprepared for what I saw. He was hooked up to tubes, and no part of him looked like the happy go lucky kid he was this morning. My heart shuddered and I pulled up a chair so I could sit right next to his bed.

"Hey Kid. How are you?" I said grabbing his hand. "I don't think I ever really told you this, at least not in a way you would believe me, but I really do think of you as my little brother. Do you know when that happened? Cause I sure don't. I didn't know how much you meant to me until you reached up and flipped that lever. I have never been so scared in all my life. Even my Dad taking away my childhood didn't hurt as much as this does." I say my throat tight. I clear it and continue "I still don't understand why you did it. Did you not think I would get into that crate for you? I would get into a thousand crates to keep you safe. Why did you do it?" I pause as if waiting for an answer I know won't come

I get up and start pacing around the room. I keep glancing at him to see if his eyes have opened. When they haven't I continue talking.

"So your parents were here. I outta take away your Kid Danger privileges for making your mother cry. Come on Kid, just wake up. Open your eyes and look at me."

I stare into his face for the longest time. There are no signs of life other than the slow steady beeping of the machines he is hooked up to.

"Maybe I am wasting my breath. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, I need for you to fight. This is going to be the hardest thing you have ever faced, but I know you can do it. You are a smart kid and braver then most. I will never forget the day we met, when you beat up my employee Boris because he shot me." I chuckle "I heard the determination in your voice when you tackled him, and I knew right then that you were my new sidekick. I have never regretted that decision. Never. I have always been slightly in awe of you. It's like you were made for this kind of work. It took an accident for me to be super, but you were super all along. If you wake up I will tell you how much you mean to me, but you gotta wake up. You just gotta." My voice breaks and I can't continue.

I go over to the chair and sit back down, all my energy spent. I sat there all night, not moving just staring at his face. It's almost like he is sleeping. I wish there was something I could do for him. But I know this is a battle he has to fight alone. I would give anything to fight it for him, but he has to be the one to decide to stay.

As the sun comes up over the clouds I squeeze his hand one last time "I love you Kid. Remember that."

Standing I head out the door to find the doctor. I tell him that no change has been seen but I would be back tonight. He nods and heads into Henrys room to do some tests.

I stretch my entire body. It gets cramped sitting in one position all night. I walk outside to a dumpster and blow my gum and instantly I am Ray again. I walk back into the hospital and ask to see Henry. They let me in and I go up to Henry and take his hand.

"Hey Henry. It's Ray," I say for the benefit of the doctor in the room. "I heard about what happened with the Mexican Red Rump. Don't you eat those things for breakfast? I think it's time to stop scaring everyone and get out of that bed. Come on now Henry. Stop joking and hop on out of that bed."

The doctor looks at me sadly. I say nothing to him and sit in my chair to resume my vigil. Visitors for Henry trickle in throughout the day, saying words or encouragement or just telling him about that day in school who said what or who did this. All throughout I sit and watch him. Just trying to find any signs of life. Charlotte comes towards the end of the day, bringing me something to eat. I don't even know what it is, but I put it in my mouth and take a couple bites. It tastes like glue. I only take a few bites before I stop.

"Ray you have to eat something."

I glare at her. "I am fine."

"Please... I don't want to have to visit 2 people I love in the hospital."

Saying nothing I reach over and force the food down my throat. Staring at Henry the whole time.

' _Come on kid. You can pull through this.'_ I can feel Charlotte's eyes on me, but I don't look at her. After a while she leaves and I am again alone with Henry.

The Doctor's come to kick me out when night falls, but I just go outside and change to Captain Man and come right back in.

Days and Nights pass. I get sleep in snatches, and if I have to leave because of an emergency my thoughts are on Henry. Lying in a hospital, hooked up to machines because of me. My actions towards criminals are ruthless. I spend the day with Henry as Ray, and the nights as Captain man.

A week has gone by since he was first bitten by that spider. A week of me desperately trying to find some kind of life within him, something to show he was still with us. It is nighttime and I am in with Henry as Captain Man. I get up and stare at the stars

"Hey Kid, do you think there is life on other planets? I bet there is. It's too big to not have some kind of life out there." I get no response but the steady beeping of the machines.

"Maybe I am deluding myself. Maybe you can't get back to us. I know you are trying, but sometimes that isn't enough. Maybe you are already gone, maybe I am just talking to myself." Turning I look at him. "Come on Kid. Tell me I am not talking to myself. Wake up and tell me…wake up…" I fall to my knees and lay my head on his stomach and cry.

I cry until I can't cry anymore. Spent I leave my head where it is and listen to him breathe. Suddenly I feel a pressure on my head. Looking up I see the thing I was afraid I would never see again…his eyes were open, focused and looking right at me.

* * *

Henry's P.O.V.

I am drifting. There is nothing but darkness and pain. The pain is fleeting, but I came to welcome it, it was the only thing that proved to me I was still alive.

Every now and again I would hear voices. Fleeting, like whispers. Sometimes I could make it out, and sometimes I could only tell who was speaking. First it was my parents: telling me they loved me, and to be strong. Then came Piper. In my dream state I couldn't be sure what I was hearing, but she was talking to me, begging me to wake up. I tried to tell her that I was OK, and to stop worrying, but my body was so heavy. I just listened to her talk, it was kind of soothing.

Charlotte was harder to hear. I could tell she was crying. ' _Come on Char, don't cry. I will be alright,'_ but I was trapped listening to her. I knew she was worried, but I couldn't comfort her. No matter how hard I tried.

The one that talked the most was Ray. I couldn't always hear what he said, but I knew he was worried about me, and angry with himself. ' _It's not your fault Ray. I did this, be mad at me. Not yourself._ ' He also talked about nonsense. Sometimes I wondered if he was just talking to talk, I appreciated it though. I knew I was not alone, and it was comforting. We were a team, and if it was him drifting I would right there beside him too.

After an eternity in the darkness, I heard Ray talking. "Life … ….. planets? I bet t..re is. It's too b… to not have s…. kind of life out there."

As I strained to listen, his words became clearer

"Maybe I am deluding myself. Maybe you can't get back to us. I know you are trying, but sometimes that isn't enough. Maybe you are already gone. Maybe I am just talking to myself." _I am not gone Ray. I am almost back to you._ "Come on Kid. Tell me I am not talking to myself. Wake up and tell me. Wake up…"

I feel a pressure on my stomach, and then I hear and feel Ray sobbing. It took me a second to realize what was happening. Ray, the indestructible Captain Man, was crying. And not just crying, sobbing like his heart would break.

It took all the strength I had, but I lifted up my hand and put it on his head. I could feel him freeze. Looking up tentatively, like he was expecting anything but me to be awake. When his eyes found mine I could see a joy and disbelief forming in them

"Why are you crying Ray?" I asked in a very breathy small voice.

He gasped "Kid?"

"Yeah…. Man my head hurts." The fight with the darkness had tired me out and for a second I forgot what was happening looking around I notice we are in a hospital. "What happened? Is someone injured?"

"Yeah. You. What's the last thing you remember?"

I thought for a minute, pictures started swimming in my brain. "Um, I remember something about a pet store."

"Uh huh."

"And…." I start, remembering a spider falling down my back. "Did I get bit by a spider?"

He nods at me, his eyes shining.

"Oh Jeeze. How long was I out?"

"A week."

"A WEEK?!" I try to yell but only a whisper comes out.

"Shh Kid, it's ok. You are going to be fine now. You are awake, and I am here with you." He says soothingly.

"Henry." Ray says in a quiet voice. I look at him and his eyes find mine. "Why did you do what you did? Why did you flip that lever letting the spider out? When you hit the floor after it bit you I wanted to die." He pauses and I feel his words sinking in. I start to remember the darkness, and how he never left my side. "Do you know how much you mean to me? I love you Kid. I never really knew how much until you weren't there anymore. I wish I could tell you that you're fired, but I can't live without you. Don't you EVER pull a stunt like this again." He says desperately.

"I did it because I couldn't let you get hurt. You may be indestructible Captain Man, but you can be hurt. And all those people. It was my fault that you couldn't just go protect them, so it was only fair I be the one to accept the consequences. Did you get everyone out ok?" I couldn't let you get hurt Ray, I just couldn't. It would have killed me for you to get hurt due to my stupidity.

"No I didn't. I didn't get my sidekick out ok. He almost died, and if he had it would be all my fault." He says angrily. I know he is mad at himself.

"Ray," I say forcefully "It wasn't your fault. _I_ did this, not you. The fault lies with me, and ONLY with me." He looked at me with his eyes shining. "I care about you too. I lo-care about you. Oh Screw it. Ray I love you." I choke the last words out. I do love him. I love him like a brother.

He looks at me with tears in his eyes. Saying nothing he comes over to the side of the hospital bed and pulls me into a crushing hug. Tiredly I pulled my arms up to return the hug. I put all my strength into the hug so he can feel it. When he releases me, I fall back to the bed exhausted.

I don't want to go to sleep since apparently I had been sleeping for a week, but I was so tired. "Ray…" I say quietly

"Henry?" Captain Man asked with a question in his voice.

"Look I don't want to leave you, but I am so very tired. I know you must be as well." He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. "Ray, I know you have been here since I have, and if I know you, you haven't slept much. Go home. I will be here when you get back. I promise." I smile reassuringly at him.

"Kid…. If I leave and you fall back into a coma I will never forgive you or myself." He says passionately.

"It's not that I don't want you here" I assure him "I just don't want you lying in a bed next to me because you collapsed from exhaustion."

He looks into my eyes for an eternity and I don't know what he saw, but whatever it was he nodded. Leaning down he gave me another hug. It was gentler this time. After he broke my hug he looked at me, leaned down and kissed the top of my head. I normally would have said something, but I understood.

He got to the door and looked back at me, eyes unreadable. "I will be here when you when you get back. I promise."

Nodding he left. I laid down and shut my eyes.

See you tomorrow, Captain Man.


	2. Ox Pox

**So I had planned on this fic being a one shot, but then the next episode aired and I was disappointed in how it turned out. So now I have decided that this fic will be a series of one shots. This one is the episode where piper eats the cookie and gets ox pox. It starts where Henry called out for Ray and he tells him to leave him behind. Please enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Henry's P.O.V.**

I look at the screen with Ray's vitals. It's -9 degrees where he is, and he didn't listen when I told him to take a coat. I really wish he would've listened to me. I start to pace, wondering what I can do. How I can help the man who has become a brother to me. What do I do? Looking I can see that his heart is starting to slow down. He won't survive much longer in the frozen wasteland that is Alaska.

"Ray?" I ask uncertain

I receive no answer.

"Ray!? Come on buddy talk to me."

It seems like an eternity since I have heard his voice, maybe he is already frozen to death. He may be indestructible, but he needs oxygen to breathe, and warmth to keep his blood pumping. He can die. I never really thought about that till now, but he can die…

"Hen-Henry" Captain Man says breathlessly

"Yeah Ray I am here." Relieved that death hasn't taken him yet and he is still with us.

"It's too late for me Kid. Just forget about me." Captain Man says sadly.

My heart shudders at the hopelessness that is in his voice.

"We are going to get you back buddy." I say willing him to believe that we are doing everything humanly possible to get him out.

"Just forget it Kid… Leave me." With that Ray hangs up the phone. The only communication we have with him.

NO! Ray don't you dare give up. How DARE you? You are Captain Man and Captain Man doesn't give up. He inspires others to do better. Don't give up, please don't give up on me.

I look at Charlotte, hoping she has some brilliant scheme to save him, but she only stares blankly back at me. As if she has already counted him out. Schwoz has the same look on his face. Just pure and utter shock and hopelessness. Suddenly like a lightning bolt I see an idea start forming in Charlotte's head. I pray. I will do ANYTHING to get Ray back. Anything.

"Wait… Schwoz can't make the machine bring Ray back right?" She says in an excited tone

"Sure, I designed and built everything in the whooooole man cave, but let's all focus on the one thing I can't do." Schwoz says in an irritated voice.

Secretly I agree with him, listing things we can't do isn't going to bring Ray back.

"Just listen. What if we set the time machine to 1709 and just reach in, grab Ray, and yank him back through?" Charlotte says breathlessly.

I turn to Schwoz "Would it work?" I ask, trying not to get my hopes up.

"Yes, but it's dangerous."

Charlotte and I glance at each other. "Why is it dangerous?"

"Because whoever goes through the portal must keep one part of their body on this side of the portal at all times, or the portal will close and they will be stuck in Alaska with Ray. We might never get them back." He says bleakly.

I turn to the time machine. Who would have thought that this hunk of metal could create so much trauma and heartache. ' _I pity the person who made you'_

"Well If anyone's going to do this, it's going to be me." I say with conviction.

The others look at me like it was a given. I roll my eyes. I would gladly give up my life for Ray. Especially since the only reason he went back in time to save my sister Piper. He didn't have to do that.

Moving quickly, I tell Schwoz to set up the time machine while I get ready. I go to the man closet ' _seriously, who comes up with these names?'_ and grab the thickest warmest coat I can find, and put it on. Then I find gloves and put those on. Next I find the second thickest coat and put it in a backpack. Running downstairs, I go to the snack machine and order a big thermos of hot chocolate and a big thermos of soup. I don't think I will need it, but it's better to be prepared. I don't want to end up like Ray. I grab an ear piece and put it in my ear, I want to be in contact with the man cave at all times. It takes me all of 3 minutes, but I am ready.

I glance at Schwoz and he looks at me sadly. "OK Henry, it's ready."

I say nothing and nod. I walk up to the machine and steal myself for what I am going to do. I will not come back without my friend.

"Ready Henry?" I nod "OK, on 2. One, two"

Schwoz flips the switch and the light of the time machine turns on. I take a deep breath and step halfway through.

It takes my eyes a minute to adjust to the bright white of Alaska, but when they do I see no sign of Ray. ' _where could he have gone?'_ I think frantically. Scanning the area quickly, I call out for Ray. I know he couldn't have gone far, but he probably had to go into the woods for the bird, and probably forgot where the time machine came out. I get no response to my screaming. I grab binoculars out of my pack and look out. I see something in the distance, it's about a half a mile out. I can just barely see a bit of blue. It has to be Ray. But how am I going to get to him? Turning around I put my face back through the time machine while keeping half my body on the Alaska side.

"Charlotte! I need your help!" I below

Charlotte looks stricken "What's going on Hen?"

"Ray is too far for me to reach." I reply desperately "I need to go get him, but I need you to keep the doorway open."

She says nothing, but walks up to the portal. She puts one foot through and nods at me. I pull my face back to Alaska and step out. I look behind me to make sure it's still open, and when I see Charlotte nudging me on, I step all the way into Alaska. It is cold, but my coat is really well made and I only feel the cold bite on my face.

I Run towards the piece of blue I saw, and it's surprising how fast you can run when a life is on the line. As I get closer I can see the blue I saw was part of Ray's leg. The rest of him has been covered in snow. I run faster than I ever have in my life. When I get to him, I fall to my knees and pull off my gloves to try to find a pulse.

"Ray. Ray can you hear me? It's me Henry." I ask frantically. Looking at his body I can see he is shivering. I internally sigh. He is alive.

"H-h-hh-he-en-r-r-y?" he asks shivering and slurring his words

"Yeah Ray it's me." I smile at him and brush off the snow that has been piling on him since he fell here.

"w-w-wh-h-y-y?..." he starts trailing off.

"Don't talk Ray, I am going to get you out of here."

Reaching down, I open my back pack and pull out the second coat I brought. I pull Ray into a sitting positon, and put it on him. He seems to hug it.

"Maybe next time." I say with a vicious tug at the zipper "You will listen to me when I say bring a coat, instead of freaking everyone out." I say trying to cover up just how scared I am. He is so cold.

"No-nope. G-ott-a l-l-l-o-o-o-o-o-k g-o-o-d."

I roll my eyes at him, and start to lift him up. I know I am going to have to carry him to the portal, because I know he doesn't have much strength to stand on his own, let alone walk. I put his arm around my shoulder, while I put my arm around his waist. He seems to unconsciously move his body as close to me as he can. I know he is trying to get warm, but it makes it hard to walk.

"Henry?" Charlotte's voice suddenly pops up in my ear. I had almost forgotten the ear piece I put in.

"Yeah Char?"

"Did you find Ray?"

"Yeah I got him. I am bringing him back now."

"Well you better hurry." Her voice scares me. It sounds frantic, and it shouldn't be, not when I just told her I have Ray.

"Charlotte, what's going on?"

"Listen carefully. This thing takes a lot of power to operate right?"

"Um right?"

"Well we are draining the Man cave and all of Swellview. Schwoz says he doesn't know how much more it can take. If it goes down it will be hours before we can get it running again, so you better hurry. As it is, we are not sure if we have the power to get you both back safely."

I scream and curse internally. What am I going to do? I can't go that fast dragging Ray, but he can't survive much longer out here. I know I have to move.

"Hen-ry. L-l-lea—ve me. G-et ba-ck to th-e m-an ca-ve…." Ray says softly.

I am so startled I almost drop him. I didn't know he could hear Charlotte from my earpiece.

"No." I say with finality. "If we can only get one person to the man cave it will be you."

Ray says nothing, but I can feel him trying to get me to drop him. Luckily he is weak, so this is a fight I will win.

Charlotte comes into view and I am struggling with Ray.

"Henry! The portal can only handle one of you. Someone will have to stay behind until we can get it up and running again." Charlotte screams, terror evident in her voice.

Captain Man opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "I am staying Charlotte. Ray can't last out here, and I am not that cold yet." I lie. The cold is a penetrating cold. I can feel it in my bones, but I know that I can survive while Ray cannot. He is almost at deaths door now.

Charlotte looks at my face and nods. As soon as I get to the portal she reaches out for Ray, and I toss him to her. He tries to fight me, but his body betrays him. He can feel the warmth coming from the portal and he instinctively moves towards it. In a flash they are both gone, and I am left alone.

I know what I have to do. Ray is dying, and so is Piper. They are more important than me right now. I will survive this for a while. I have a coat, and warm things to eat in my pack. Stealing my resolve, I reach up and contact the Man cave.

"Yes Henry? I am working on getting the machine up and running so I can bring you home" Schwoz says in a rush.

"No Schwoz" I spit the words out quickly before I lose my nerve

"You—you don't want us to bring you back?" Schwoz says uncertainly

"No, I do. But there are others things I need you to do first. First tell Charlotte to do whatever she can to warm up Ray. Secondly I need you to make the medicine for Piper and take it to her. Then you can come get me." I say in a rush.

"Um ok Henry, I see what you are saying. But your sister won't take medicine from me, I am a stranger."

"Look tell her that you are a co-worker of mine, and that I was telling you about her illness, and you had an ancient remedy from wherever you are from." I say easily. Man ever since I became Kid Danger, the lies have been falling off my tongue.

"Ok 10-4 Henry. Don't worry, I will get you home as fast as I can."

"I know Schwoz. I know. See you soon." With that I disconnect the phone, and I am alone again.

Charlotte's P.O.V.

That stupid man, and that stupid boy. How dare they do this to me. I TOLD them this was a bad idea. Why does no one ever listen to me? Now I am stuck here, waiting for Henry to come back with Ray and keeping this stupid portal open.

I watch Henry sprint in the direction of Ray until I can't see him anymore. This is stupid. I cross my arms and wait for Henry to come back. That boy is lucky we are friends, or I might just go back to the warmth of the man cave and let this portal close. Serves him right.

"Charlotte, we have a problem." I hear Schwoz from behind me.

I can't turn, so I raise my voice "What now?" I say scared of what I heard in his voice.

"Well…. Uh…. This thing takes a lot of power, and we are currently draining the Man Cave. When that happens, it will start to pull from all of Swellview. Yep there it goes now." Schwoz says frantically. "The back-up generators will keep the lights on in the Man Cave, but they are not strong enough to keep the portal open."

"OK Schwoz, get to the point. What does that mean?" I ask desperate for information.

"Well it means that in a few minutes the power will go out, and that portal will close. They need to get back now. In fact, we may only have enough power to bring back 2 people."

"Well that's good right? We only need to bring back 2." I say frustrated. Why freak me out like that for nothing?

"No Charlotte, we need to bring back 3. You are on the other side of the portal as well. I can't bring everyone back this time. Once the power goes out I will need time to get it back on and the machine running again." I can hear the sadness in his tone.

I look out towards where Henry ran. "How much time?"

"A couple hours."

"Schwoz, we need lights in the Man Cave to warm Ray up." I say frantically. Was all this for nothing?

"The generator will keep the lights in the Man Cave running."

I give him the thumbs up sign with my hand that is still in the Man Cave. I can't speak, cause if I do I will cry. I take a few minutes to compose myself before contacting Henry.

"Henry?"

"Yeah Char?"

"Did you find Ray?"

"Yeah I got him. I am bringing him back now." The relief in his voice almost starts the tears. He has no idea.

"Well you better hurry." I choke the words out.

"Charlotte, what's going on?"

"Listen carefully. This thing takes a lot of power to operate right?"

"Um, right?"

"Well we are draining the Man cave and all of Swellview. Schwoz says he doesn't know how much more it can take. If it goes down it will be hours before we can get it running again, so you better hurry. As it is, we are not sure if we have the power to get you both back safely."

There is silence on the line, and I don't know if he heard me. I can't bring myself to speak again, so I just wait. Wait for him, wait for some sign that he is ok. Suddenly I see a very strange figure in the distance. It's moving fast, well as fast a person can while carrying another. My heart leaps until I hear Schwoz

"Charlotte. The power is going out fast. I can only bring back 2 of you. Please hurry."

Henry is closer now. I can see his face. Ray is clinging to consciousness; I don't know how much longer he can last out here. He needs to get warm NOW.

"Henry! The portal can only handle one of you. Someone will have to stay behind until we can get it up and running again." I scream hoping he can't hear the panic in my voice.

"I am staying Charlotte. Ray can't last out here, and I am not that cold yet." I hear the lie in his voice. He is cold, but he is also right. Ray won't last out here. It's the only thing that can happen. Henry has to stay. That doesn't make it any easier.

He tosses Ray to me and I grab him.

"Do-n't l-e-t h-h-h-im do thi-ssssss." Ray whispers in my ear.

Closing my eyes, I pull Ray back through the portal. We fall to the ground and Ray is shivering uncontrollably. I get down on my hands and knees and try to friction his arms. He reaches up and grabs my hand. He doesn't say anything; he seems to be spent. I watched a documentary on hypothermia once and I know just what to do. In fact, Henry watched it with me. Thinking of Henry hurts my heart so I focus on the task at hand.

In the background I hear Henry talking to Schwoz. He tells him to make the medicine for Piper and for me to get Ray warm. I can't let these words penetrate my brain. If I do I won't be able to focus, so I put them out of my mind for the time being. I put Ray's arms around me and lift him up. He is still shaking, so it is slow going.

I drag/carry him to the bathroom, where I take off his coat, vest and shirt. I remove his belt buckle, shoes and socks, but I leave his pants on cause huh uh, no way am I doing THAT. I fill the tub up with room temperature water and put Ray in the tub. I grab a wash cloth and start cleaning off the icicles that are on his face and hair. I take off his mask, and wash the gold eye makeup off from underneath. Boys. At first I was a little worried about frost bite, but then I remembered that Captain Man can't be injured, so I was relieved.

He is still shaking, but I can tell he is getting warmer. I drain a bit of the water and put more hot water in it. I want to bring his temperature up slowly, so as not to shock his system.

As I am doing this I am talking non-stop. I don't even know what I am saying. I just can't seem to stop myself from rambling.

"Charlotte." I hear Ray say softly, cutting into my tirade.

I look down at him with tears in my eyes. "Ray?" I say uncertainly.

"Thank. You." He says with feeling. "You and Henry saved my life."

My heart shuddered at Henry's name "Well you saved ours, so it's only fair." I say with my heart in my throat. "We love you, you big oaf."

He smiles at me, and I just can't help it. I lean down, not caring how wet I get to give him the biggest hug I can muster. He seems shocked at first, but then he reaches up and returns it with as much strength as he can. I try not to focus on how cold he still is. True he isn't an icicle anymore, but he isn't out of the woods yet.

I sit up and look into his eyes. I can see the worry for Henry in them, so I ask "Are you feeling warmer?"

He looks into my face "A little, but I have no strength Charlotte." He says downcast.

"Ray, we have to get you into dry, warm clothes." I reply softly.

He looks down at his hands and nods his head. I can read this boy like a book. I know he is weak. I will help him get dressed but the pants and underpants part he has to do himself. I won't help with that.

I reach down and hook my arms around his waist. I am already soaking from the hug, so not too concerned about getting wet. I know it's hard for Ray to be this helpless, but we all need some help sometimes. I try to make it as painless as possible.

With a lot of effort, I hoist Ray out of the tub. As soon as he is out, he starts to shiver again. I hug his cold body closer to me, so he can have some of my warmth and he squeezes my shoulder in gratitude. I carry Ray up to his room, with him leaning heavily on me, all the while shivering and stumbling. When we get to his room, I don't want to leave him. I know he needs my help, but I can't bring myself to do what needs to be done. Calling myself a coward I open the door and lean him on the wall.

"OK Ray, you need to get yourself into dry pants. I know it will be hard, but you can do it." I say trying to keep the nerviness out of my voice.

He gives me another squeeze on my shoulder and I leave the room. I close the door behind me, and put my ear up to it. I want to hear if he needs my help. I can hear him rustling around, but no cries for help. I breathe and internal sigh of relief. I love that man, but I can't help with this.

He is in there for about 5 minutes when I hear a tremendous thud, immediately followed by a very soft muffled "I'm ok."

Scared about what I might find, I open the door and find him sprawled on the floor, shivering uncontrollably. He has clean underwear on, but his pants are at his knees. He just couldn't stay up any more.

Steeling my nerves up I go over to him, pick him up, and pull up his pants. It wasn't too bad if I just thought of his boxers as shorts. He had no strength anymore, so he flopped around while I dressed him like he was a baby. I picked a very warm shirt with long sleeves and slipped it over his head. Once he was dressed I dragged him to his bed and threw him under the covers. I tucked him in, and I couldn't help it, I kissed his forehead.

I looked into his eyes, and they were shining. I always forget that he had a rough childhood. He probably never had someone taking care of him, and worrying about him. Once he got super, his dad stopped treating him like a kid and more like a lab rat. I smooth his hair out of his face.

"Thank…. You…. Charlotte." He says with a whisper.

I nod, saying nothing, to overcome with emotion to speak. It finally dawns on me how close we came to losing him today. And how Henry could end up just like this. I internally scold myself. Don't think about Henry. Henry will be fine, he has a warm jacket and warm things to eat and drink. He will be fine.

I let Henry's words sink in. he is going to stay there until the cure is done. That stupid boy. I stand up to go speak with Schwoz. I have only been with Ray about an hour, but I want to go check on things with the cure and Henry. As I stand up to leave the room, Ray grabs my hand and looks panicked.

"Charlotte… don't leave me." I can still see his body shaking.

I can't leave him. Not like this. "OK Ray. I will be right here till you fall asleep." I assure him.

He nods and closes his eyes. Suddenly his eyes shoot open, and I can see the worry and panic in them "Charlotte… Where is Henry? Is he back yet?" He must have forgotten with the effort of getting warm, and you know, not dying. His voice is sounding stronger, so I can tell how upset he is.

"Shh… Shh. Henry will be fine." I say soothingly willing myself to believe it as well. "He is wearing a very thick coat, and he brought hot soup and hot chocolate. He will be fine till we get him." I almost believe it myself.

"I want to t-t-alk to him." He says in between shivers.

"OK, but I have to go get the phone. Will you be ok for a few minutes?" I ask. I really don't want to go get the phone. I can still see Henry's face when he told me he was going to stay behind, if I hear him talk I will have to relive it. Me leaving my best friend to possible death. But if it will help Ray I will.

He nods and I leave. I don't want to leave him alone for long, so I run down grab the phone. Before I go back up to him, I quickly check on Schwoz. He has the medicine for Piper ready and he is getting ready to go to Henry's house. He looks grimly at me

"How is Ray?"

"Warmer. He wants to hear Henry's voice before he goes to sleep. And he desperately need sleeps if he is going to get any warmer. He is still soo cold Schwoz." I say, voice breaking.

Saying nothing, he heads over to me and pulls me into a hug. If I hadn't been so scared and sad, I would have thought it odd. Schwoz has never hugged me or anyone that I know of. But I am too tired and emotionally exhausted to think about that. I just lay my head on his shoulder and all the tears I had been holding back came flooding out. I cry until I can't cry anymore. I give him an extra squeeze before pulling away. I see tears on his face, and I am humbled. Saying nothing to each other we each head in opposite directions. He heads to the elevator, and I head to Ray's room.

I slowly open the door and see Ray looking at me. I hold up the phone and his eyes light up.

I push the button.

"Hen?" I ask uncertainly. I don't know if he can answer, or if he is ok.

I get no response for the longest time. Ray and I glance at each other. The fear evident on our faces.

"HENRY!?" I shout at the top of lungs

A few seconds go by and just when I was about to shout again I hear the click of Henry's ear piece

"Jeeze Charlotte, did you have to scream so loud?"

I let out the breath I had been holding. "You scared me. Why didn't you answer when I called the first time?" I say letting myself be angry.

"I... uh…. took out the ear piece and put it in my back pack. It was starting to hurt." He says sheepishly.

For a moment I am stunned, then I let the anger take over "YOU TOOK IT OUT?! Don't you take it out again Henry Hart or I will tell Schwoz to rig your gum to turn you into a fairy princess every time you blow a bubble." Boys!

I hear a soft low chuckle from the bed next to me, and I glance over. Ray's eyes have more light in them then they have had since we got him back from Alaska.

"Listen Hen, I have Ray here and he is worried about you. Will you please just tell him you are alright so I can make him go to sleep?" I say in a rush.

"Ray?" Henry says uncertain

I put the phone up to his mouth "Kid…" Ray hoarsely replied

"I am fine. I am not going to lie to you and say I am having the time of my life, it's cold here, but I am not freezing. I am bored out of my mind, but I can wait till Schwoz gets the machine up and running again." Henry says strongly.

Ray says nothing, but looks at me. His eyes filled with tears. I think we have all cried more than any other time in our lives. And I have a feeling the tears won't stop till everyone is home and save, even then I think there will be more tears.

"Hen, hold on a second." I out the phone down and turn to Ray "Ray I have to talk to Henry in private. I have some things to say to that boy." He looks into my face and nods

"Will you come back in when you are done? I don't want to be alone." I am shocked by how small he sounds.

I nod and leave.

"Henry listen." I say frantically "Schwoz has the medicine for Piper and is taking it to her. He hasn't started on the machine yet." I say desperately.

"It's ok Char. Just so long as Piper gets it. How is Ray?"

"He is going to be fine" I say in a rush "but Henry, he is still so cold. I think almost dying really scared him. He doesn't want to be alone, he has never sounded so scared and small." I say finally getting a part of my fear out in the open. What if he never wants to be alone again?

"It's ok Char. Give him some time; he did almost die. I am sure he will be back to normal once he recovers." He said with conviction, but then his voice breaks "Char? Please take care of him. I can't… I just can't lose him. And don't let him lose hope."

"I won't Henry, I won't." I promise. You can count on me Kid Danger.

We say our goodbyes and I hang up the phone. I head back into Ray's rooms and find him staring at me. I smile and walk over to him.

"You OK?" he asks me

"Never better. Henry is fine. A pain in my butt, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

He chuckles and says "Mine too" so softly I can almost believe I imagined it.

Rays eyes start to droop, and I know he has to be tired. Without even noticing I am doing it I reach out to stroke his hair, the same way my mom would do for me when I was sick. Under my breath I hum the song she would always sing. When I was little, whenever she sang that song I felt safe, loved, and protected. I only hoped Captain Man would feel the same way. He sighs a little and I can see him start to relax. His breathing becomes deep and even. He has stopped shivering for which I am grateful. I stay a few minutes longer, before slowly getting up and leaving him to sleep.

I go downstairs to start the process for getting the machine back up and running so we can get Henry back. I am down there for 5 minutes when Schwoz comes back down the elevator.

"How did it go?"

"Not well" He says angrily. "At first they wouldn't take my medicine, even after I said I could guarantee it would work. Then they asked me where Henry was cause apparently your little friend with the sweaty hands has been hiding under the kitchen window and they want Henry to see why. Then they asked me what _time_ they could expect Henry. I had to make up a lie about how we got a late night shipment and had to do inventory. Thank god it's Saturday, or they would have had my head!" He took a deep breath calming himself. "But she took the medicine and is now resting calmly, the pox was fading when I left. How is Ray? And did you talk to Henry?"

"I did talk to Henry." I reply "and so did Ray. It was good for him I think. I know Henry is worried we can't get him back, but none of that came through his voice. Ray fell asleep right after."

"Good. Now help me get this infernal machine up and running again, so we can bring our Kid Danger home."

Nodding I rush off to help.

Henry's P.O.V.

It had been over an hour since I talked to Ray and Charlotte and nothing. You would have thought that they would be telling me what's going on. Or even if they can get me back. No! They will get me back. They have to. If I believe in nothing else, I do believe that Schwoz is a genius and that he can get me back. Even if he did get me put here in the first place. Why did he have to bake those cookies? Why did I have to take them home? I swore I would never eat anything hand cooked by Schwoz again. No matter how good it looked, it wasn't worth all this turmoil.

I wished for the millionth time that I had brought a book. Or a phone. Or even my homework. I am soooooo BOOOORED. The coat I am wearing is really good, but the cold is starting to seep in. I start to run in place to keep the blood pumping. I don't want to end up like Ray.

How could he think I would leave him? I ask myself for the trillionth time. Did he honestly think I would leave him here to die, alone and cold? Sighing, I stop running. I keep asking myself this question but the only one who can give me answers is Ray, and I don't even know if he is still ok. I know Charlotte said he is fine, but he didn't sound like it. No! Charlotte will take care of him. There isn't anything you can do from here Henry, so stop worrying about it. I look back at my pack. The soup is gone, but I may still have some hot chocolate left.

I look in the thermos and discover enough for one last mug. Luckily Schwoz designed this thermos, and it keeps things piping hot for however long you need them. I savor the last cup and drink it slowly. I can feel the cold start to loosen around me. See what happens when you are always prepared? Patting myself on the back, I go back to looking at my surroundings. I don't even know if there is a town nearby. I wish I could go exploring, but I know I can't. for one thing, I would look weird to them in my futuristic clothes. And for another I wouldn't be able to find my way back to the portal. I might as well stay here.

Deciding I have had enough of the one-person dialog, I reach up and tap the ear piece to signal the Man Cave.

"Charlotte? Are you there?"

A few seconds go by and I hear a click

"Yeah Henry I am here." She sounds out of breath.

"Are you ok? Did something happen to Ray?" I ask worried that maybe Ray had taken a turn for the worse.

"No, no, Ray is fine. He is upstairs sleeping. Fitfully, but he is sleeping. I don't think he will fully let himself sleep till you are back."

"OK, then why are you out of breath?" I ask curious.

"Well if you must know, I am running around trying to help Schwoz get this STUPID MACHINE working."

"Schwoz is back?" I ask hopeful "Is my sister ok?"

"Yeah she is fine, the pox was disappearing when he left. She is going to be ok."

I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn't know how much that was weighing on me till she said that.

"Thanks Charlotte. Do you know how much longer it's going to be?" I ask trying not to rush her, but it sucks in Alaska

"Actually Henry, I was just about to call you. I think we are almost ready. Can you wait 5 more minutes?"

Can I wait 5 more minutes? Of course I can wait 5 more minutes. They can get me back! I do a little happy dance, when I realize Charlotte is waiting for a response.

"Um- yeah. That will be fine." I reply trying to sound manly.

"You did a happy dance didn't you?" Charlotte asks dryly.

"No I didn't. Shut up." I say and disconnect.

I stand and wait for the portal to open. I go to where I think it is and just stand.

"Ok Henry, you ready?" Schwoz's voice squawks in my ear.

"As ready as ever. Hit the switch."

The portal opens up right in front of me. Charlotte grabs my hand and yanks me through. The second my feet hit the Man Cave, Schwoz turns off the machine and launches himself at me. I fall to the ground laughing. 'It worked' I think to myself to overcome with emotion to say anything. My face broke into a huge smile while Charlotte jumps on top of Schwoz, who is currently trying to squeeze all the air from my lungs. They are both hugging me till I think I am going to pop.

I have never been happier.

Schwoz gets off me first, and helps Charlotte next. I look into their faces. Until this moment, I hadn't realized how scared I was that they wouldn't be able to get me back. It's like I am seeing them both for the first time. I am alive and it feels great.

Amidst the celebrating, I hear a very small and tired voice call out "He-nry."

Looking up toward the sound I see Ray at the top of the stairs leaning on the door frame to hold himself up. He looks tired, and he is wobbling on his feet.

Without even realizing what is happening, I jump up and run to him. I know it's only seconds until he falls. I get to him just as he was beginning to fall. I catch him and he rests heavily on my shoulder.

"Hey Kid." He croaks out, voice full of emotion "Thought I would never see you again."

I look into his face "Nah, you can't get rid of me that easily."

He isn't cold anymore, and for that I am grateful, but he doesn't seem to have much energy. Looking at Schwoz and Charlotte, I send them an apologetic look as I turn and carry Ray back up his room. We have some things to talk about.

It takes far longer than it should, but I get Ray back up to his room and lay him down on his bed. He seems to sigh with relief. He must be more worn out than I thought. He turns to look at me and I am just so happy he is there, I thought I might lose him today, and nothing in my whole life has ever scared me like that.

"Are you ok?" he asks frantically, searching my face.

"Feel goooood." I reply with my trademark grin

"I thought you would leave me." He says quietly. "I thought I was a goner. And all I could think about was how all the things I hadn't done. Never seeing you, Charlotte and or even Schwoz again, and I just..." Two great big tears fell down Ray's face "I just want you to know that I think of you guys as my family. I love you Kid."

I stared at him for a second before beginning. I had thought about what I wanted to say to him when I was stuck in Alaska. I had a whole speech planned, but looking into his face I knew I couldn't go with the one I practiced. I wanted to yell at him for thinking I would leave him, and yell at him for not taking a coat, and yell at him for trying to make me drop him when I was trying to save his life. Really I just plain wanted to yell. But now was not the time for harsh words. Squaring my shoulders, I began.

"Ray. We think of you as family too. I love you so much, and today when I thought I would lose you, it was like my heart stopped. I heard the hopelessness in your voice, and I almost lost myself. You are not supposed to die. You are Captain Man, and the realization that you can die shook me." I pause looking into his eyes. He is silent, but his eyes are wet.

"You should have left me. You almost got hurt..." He replies sadly

The anger I was trying to keep at bay reared up. I bit it down, but knew I had to say some of the things I had practiced. "Ray. How could you think I would leave you? How could you think even for a second I would leave you to die out there? Did you not trust me?" I said in a rush. "I will always come for you Ray. If you are in trouble I will do everything in my power to get to you and help you. Be it tomorrow, next week, next year, or even a hundred years. I will be there for you."

Ray is crying openly now. "I never doubted you Henry. I doubted that Schwoz would be able to get machine up and running, I doubted that I could be found, but most importantly I doubted myself. I talk a big game Henry, but I didn't think I was important enough for you to risk your life…" he trailed off.

"You are my brother Ray. You are important to me. You always will be." I say sternly.

"I will always be there for you to." He raises his hand and holds out his pinky.

I almost laughed. It's moments like this that make me realize how much of a child Captain Man really is. In a moment of seriousness, I grab his pinky with mine.

For a long time we just stayed like that. Each promising things to the other. I was reluctant to let go of his hand. After a while his eyes started to drop. He didn't want to go to sleep, but I knew he needed it.

"Sleep Ray. I am only a wrist call away."

He looked into my eyes and nodded. Soon he breath was deep and even. I knew this time he would sleep the sleep of healing. Smiling I walked to the door and turned to look at him one last time.

See you tomorrow, Captain Man.


End file.
